I had to get a picture to see what the actually look like. We had a toy one that my son played with when he was a baby. But that is the only thing I've seen!

I'm sorry that you're afraid of them...they can look pretty scary. I grew up in South Georgia though, and I found the sounds they make soothing, takes me back to my childhood. However, when you get a huge amount of them going at the same time, the noise can be deafening!!

We have them in Kansas every summer. The dogs love the chase them and catch them if they are low and buzzing. I know the dogs have eaten them before, but I try to take them away from the dogs, because I am afraid that the hard parts (legs, head) might cause damage to the inside of the dogs. I have been told that they cannot even bit, because they have not mouth parts, but just those scratchy feet freak me out.

EWWWWWWWWWWW! It looks like some kind of alien or something! :(

I have never seen one that I know of, but I LOVE the sound in the dog days of summer here with the buzzing in the air! I know, Im weird... but we don't get swamped with them and they come out around August/sept and buzz all day and it just reminds me of the heat and sun and I love it! Im sorry you are infested with them though! :( I hate bugs myself, especially ones that fly!

We had them here in Ohio about 5 years ago....they were horrible!! My house wasnt too bad with them. I only went in the front of the house because the back yard was worse. It was like we were under attack by alien bugs that summer. I was on my way to work one day, my husband was driving me and some dumb kid threw his bike in front of our truck and we hit it. We had to get out of the truck when the police came and it was so horrible I was running in circles until I got back in the truck and I remembered I had cracked the window and I seen one trying to crawl in and I rolled it up really quick and crushed it....eeewwww I hate them things...In some areas they werent bad but areas with lots of trees is where its horrible...they like swarm together, they kept getting in my hair...I wore my hair up the whole time so they wouldnt get stuck in it. Good luck with them....I think when they come back here again I'm moving until they are gone....I actually bought a shirt that says I survived the Cicada's in 2003. They are the most disgusting bugs in history....and my old dog used to eat them and it made her tummy upset....so dont let your dog eat them. If they came back now....I would stock up on pee pads cuz i wouldnt be walking my baby in that but thats how bad I hate them. good luck!!

Do you have a leaf blower? I would get one and blow the sidewalk clear before I took Rosie out.

At least they won't hurt you or Rosie and they do make a nice sound. I grew up with 3 brothers so I pretty much am not afraid of any bugs - unless they're poisonous. Good luck!!

Butterflies...that's what I'll keep thinking. Haha. I wish I could get Rosie to go on her pee pads, but if she's determined to go outside she won't stop whining. I guess I trained her pretty well:rolleyes: I wish I could move for 1 month:)

Hopefully we won't get them that bad since our apartment complex is only about 10 years old. My only concern is that the woods are right behind my complex. I keep imagining waking up one day, opening the door, seeing the whole ground covered, and several of them flying in. Yikes!